Eric’s First Walking Shoes and Duck Park

Just like his big sister, now that Eric has turned one-year-old, he received his first pair of walking shoes to commemorate the occasion. He did have a pair of pre-walking sandals, but they never stayed on his feet long enough to be considered his first real shoes! My children and I love to go around barefoot, as it is. I only really put on shoes when I have to, and most of my shoes are, I am sure, considered far from stylish. I prefer flip flops most of the time. It wasn’t until after Eric’s birthday party when looking through pictures that I realized I’d forgotten to put on shoes at all!

Even so, after Eric scraped one of his big toes last week, my husband suggested that it might be time to get our son a pair of sturdy sneakers. I’ve been hesitating mainly because he walked so early (8.5 months), and I didn’t want to throw him off his balance or cause him confusion. Yet Bill is right. So today we went too Stride Rite to find Eric his first sturdy shoes.

He liked them right away! He did stumble a few times, but that only made him giggle. I think he will regain his sure footing fairly quickly with practice.

Running in his new shoes around the store! Katie also got a pair of brown leather shoes today.

Trying out his new shoes at the duck park…

But it wasn’t long before I took them off… I mean, part of the beauty of being at a park is feeling the grass with your bare feet, yes?

Katie near the lake

All three of us feeding the ducks (my mom was there, as well, taking the picture).